INTRODUCTION: The narrative of Oliver C. Beers who taken captive by Indians in the Pacific Northwest on June 26, 1793 while sailing aboard the Jefferson.

Dates: 1796

Biographical Note: There are few narratives of Northwest Coast Indian captivities. The manuscript narrative of Oliver C. Beers is one of the earliest and first known records of Indian captivity along the Northwest Coast. Oliver C. Beers was taken captive on June 25, 1791, somewhere between Queen Charlotte’s Island and Sitka, while sailing aboard the Jefferson. Beers’ narrative provides evidence of early Northwest Indian attacks on ships and the captivity of survivors.

Collection Scope:

This collection consists of a Northwest Coast Indian captivity narrative written on July 13, 1796, on the verso of a map, probably from a Dutch Bible.